"The GameStops in DC are really ... crappy. They're in a really bad part of town. There's, like, bars on the windows and shit." -- HarrasmentPanda, DC/Bmore NARP, May 2, 2009
Evidently the rest of the country doesn't share Panda's fear of GameStop as they have control of 21 percent of the gaming market in the U.S. Gamasutra came up with the numbers in an expose on the company they are conducting and say that the other 79 percent are sold mostly by chain stores like Best Buy and Walmart. The number isn't quite official either as those chain stores don't group accessories and PC games in their gaming sales while GameStop does.
Still even with the slight mathematical guessing game that Gamasutra had to do the number is interesting. For me it seems a little low since I've always seen GameStop as an evil corporation controlling most of the world. Plus, the way devs talk about you'd think they had a 99 percent share of the market or something. Then again 1/5 is a pretty big slice of any pie. MMMMM, pie.
Matthew Razak is Destructoid's Associate editor and co-founder of film site
Flixist. He began as community member "cowzilla" and was since sequestered to write brainy features material. He lives in Los Angeles with his beautiful wife.
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Contest:
10:00 AM on 05.03.2009 | 
Its cool once you get inside though.
How would they not account for used game sales? That's like 99% of their sales?
If you're taking the total gaming market, which includes Actiblizzard's $15 million/mo WoW income, then this suddenly becomes far less.
GameStop employs thousands of workers, and the used game market lowers the cost of entry for many people who would otherwise not be able to afford games ($60.00 price tag for new games is a large hurdle to overcome for many people).
All in all, I think GameStop's existence is a benefit to the gaming community as a whole. I know it's "cool" to hate corporations right now, but all the anti-corporate rhetoric doesn't measure up to reality .
Yeah, I think it gets a little excessive too. Especially when you talk about somewhat older games (like PS2 and Gamecube games these days), Gamestop really does a service. Without it, prices would be higher, no doubt.
I think it's a little shitty that they don't try harder to hold more new games in stock, but there are thousands of ways to get new games. Also, if you don't want to buy used games, you don't have to.... Gamestop isn't holding a gun to people's heads or anything.
Granted, they can be shitty about which games they sell people and such. That's why you just need to be your own advocate.
However, I refute aaronf's thinking that GameStop makes gaming affordable for those that normally wouldn't be able to buy games. A $5 price drop on a $60 game makes it somehow suddenly affordable? GameStop is greedy as shit. They literally make $30 per game for doing NOTHING but scanning a game into the computer and putting it on the shelf. They could stand to sell used games for less, and then your argument would hold some weight.
$5 less than new price is an insult, and I can't believe people ever go that route when the new version is available.
I am curious to know if Amazon is included in this study, or just brick-and-mortar retailers.
As for the sales figures listed within Razak's post, my gut says it has more to do with parents who aren't well educated about their options and tend to cave in with a combination of not knowing their shopping options and the wants of their children -- "I want it, Mommy! I want it NOW!"
Well, I would say that rather than "missing the point", for me the trade-in value and used game prices *are* the point. I can't really go for the convenience thing, since Best Buy is just as convenient, and the Gamer Zone program ends up giving you almost as much back in certificates as you would save by buying used games. And checking weekly ads or taking a quick peek at Cheap Ass Gamer isn't that difficult. I don't sell my games, really, but I can see the appeal of getting rid of them for cash or credit *that day* instead of waiting or doing the eBay thing. Fair enough.